United Nations Passes New Sanctions Against North Korea

The United Nations Security Council on Monday passed new sanctions against North Korea but refrained from imposing the harshest options the White House proposed following a month of antagonistic military action by the regime of Kim Jong Un.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley voted Monday at a U.N. Security Council meeting to impose new sanctions against North Korea. (KENA BETANCUR via Getty Images)

The unanimous decision to impose the new penalties follows North Korea’s recent nuclear test earlier this month ― its sixth and by far most powerful ― as well as a provocative test launch of a ballistic missile over Japan. The sanctions include capping imports of crude oil into North Korea, banning the sale of natural gas to the country and prohibiting the sale of North Korean textiles, the country’s second-biggest export, according to Reuters.

However, the penalties fall far short of those called for by the administration of President Donald Trump, which had requested a full cutoff of all oil supplies to Pyongyang, most of which are imported from China. The New York Times reports those demands were watered down following talks with Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council that hold veto power.